Rotary container apparatus



A. E. AUBIN ROTARY CONTAINER APPARATUS Feb. 20, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 9, 1964 INVENTOR.

A; E. AUBIN ROTARY CONTAINER APPARATUS Feb. 20,1968

ZSheeis-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 9, 1964 United States Patent 3,369,985 ROTARY CONTAINER APPARATUS Albert E. Aubin, 36 Randolph Drive, Glastonbury, Conn. 06033 Filed Dec. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 416,982 6 Claims. (Cl. 204213) ABSTRACT ()F THE DISCLOSURE A portable rotary container apparatus for the surface treatment of small articles has a drive motor and a container operably connected by an elongated drive shaft. A mounting bracket secured to the motor provides means for releasably retaining the apparatus on the lip of a tank and carries a bearing for stabilizing the elongated drive shaft. Further support for the shaft is provided by an elongated handle also attached to the motor and carrying another shaft bearing.

This invention relates to improvements in portable rotary container apparatus and more particularly to improvements in immersible portable rotary container apparatus for the simultaneous surface treatment of a multiplicity of relatively small articles. In the surface finishing of small workpieces, a series of related finishing operations are often required which usually are performed most advantageously while the workpieces are rotated or tumbled within a container. For example, such finishing operations may include chip separation, cleaning, coating, stripping, de-burring, polishing and electroplating.

The general object of this invention is to provide a portable rotary container apparatus wherein a series of related surface-treating operations may be performed in a single container without removing the articles so treated from the container between finishing operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide an immersible portable rotary container apparatus for the surface treatment of small articles in tanks of liquid.

A further object of this invention is to provide a portable rotary container apparatus particularly adapted for electroplating small articles in a tank of liquid electrolyte solution.

The drawings show a preferred embodiment of the invention and such embodiment will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction disclosed, and that the drawings and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawings: 7

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an apparatus embodying the present invention in a form adapted for electroplating operations, the container portion of the apparatus being shown in section to reveal the position of the electroplating electrode relative to the container and further showing the relative position of the apparatus within a tank of liquid electrolyte, the tank being indicated by broken lines.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 having a modified form of the container, the position of the electroplating electrode relative to the apparatus being indicated by dotted lines. I

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the apparatus of the present invention which generally comprises a power unit 10, a container 12, an elongated shaft 14 providing an operable connection between the power unit and the container, a handle member 16 for transporting the apparatus and a mounting clip 18 for supporting the apparatus on the lip or edge portion of a tank 20. This apparatus is particularly adaptable for electroplating operice ations and when it is employed for this purpose, the electrode 22 is positioned as shown in FIG. 1, and as indicated by broken lines in FIG. 2.

In the presently preferred form of the invention, the power unit 10 is a fractional horsepower electrical motor having an integral speed reduction unit, since container speeds of less than rpm, are usually sufficient for most finishing operations.

The container 12 is preferably made from a chemically insert plastic material and comprises a generally axially symmetrical side wall portion 24 and a bottom closure portion 26 defining a generally axially symmetrical hollow interior 28 adapted to receive small articles. The side wall portion 24 and the bottom closure portion 26 are perforate to said liquid circulation when the apparatus is used for treating articles in tanks of liquid. The surface configuration of the side wall portion 24 and the bottom portion 26 also includes a plurality of fluted corrugations 30, 30 which give rigidity to the thin walled container and impart relative motion to the articles within the container as it rotates, thereby insuring uniform article surface treatment and preventing small articles from adhering to the container surface. The angular inclination of the side wall portion 24 relative to the container axis also tends to impart relative motion to the articles within the container as it rotates about its axis.

A modified form of the container 12 of FIG. 1 is shown as 12a in FIG. 2, wherein the side wall portion 24a and the bottom closure portion 26a have substantially imperforate surfaces, A container of this modified form would normally be used in dry-rolling operations, such as polishing or de-burring by mutal attrition or in certain wet-rolling operations, such as surface coating wherein the surface treating liquid is confined within the container. Other modified container forms are possible and may be particularly desirable for specific workpiece treating applications. For example, a perforated cylindrical basket type container (not shown) fabricated from expanded metal has been found particularly suitable for use with this apparatus as a rotary separator for separating chips and dirt from small workpieces and as an immersible Washer for small articles.

An elongated shaft 14 extending from the motor 10 and into the container 12 provides operative connection therebetween. That is, the shaft 14 is connected at its outer end portion to the bottom closure 26. Fastener nuts 38, 38 are preferably employed for attaching the container 12 to the shaft 14 to facilitate container removal and replacement. The shaft 14 coaxially extends through and from the container 12 and is operatively connected to a shaft 36 of the motor 10 by a universal coupling 34. This elongated driving shaft arrangement produces a spaced relationship between the container and the drive motor which serves to protect the motor from liquid contamination when the apparatus is used in a tank of liquid, thereby rendering it particularly suitable for such immersible applications. If the apparatus is to be used in electroplating operations, as will hereinafter be discussed, the one of the nut fasteners 38, 38 located Within the container interior 28 and the shaft 14 portion extending through the container interior are coated with a plastic electrically insulating material 39 to prevent electrical contact between these parts and the workpieces disposed within the container or the cathode contacts to be hereinafter described.

A handle member 16 provides a convenient means for manually transporting this portable apparatus and for inserting it into a tank or removing it therefrom. The rigid elongated handle 16 is secured at its end portion 40 to the power unit 10 by suitable threaded fasteners and extends outwardly therefrom toward the container 12. The handle 16 includes an outer end portion 42 which is turned inwardly toward the shaft 14 intermediate the power unit 10 and the container 12. A hearing member or bushing 44, made from corrosion resistive plastic material, is secured in the outer end portion 42, providing means for journalling the shaft 14 intermediate the power unit and the container. It should be noted that the longitudinal axis of the handle 16 is located within an axial plane of the shaft 14 to facilitate proper shaft-journal alignment. In the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, a brace member 46 connects the two respective outer end portions of the handle to give added rigidity to the handle structure.

Means for supporting the apparatus on the lip or upper edge portion of an electroplating tank or the like is provided by the mounting clip 18which is secured at one end to the housing of the motor 10. The other end of clip 18 is bifurcated to form a first portion 48 and a second portion 50. The portion 48 is bent inwardly toward the shaft 14 to provide an additional support therefor. A thrust bearing 54 is secured in the inwardly bent portion 52 of the portion 48, and an associated thrust washer 56 provides the additional means for journalling the shaft 14 and for absorbing the outward thrust produced by the rotation of the container 12. The second portion 50 is inclined from the first surface portion 48 in the direction of the container 12.

The non-parallel surface portions 48 and 50 cooperate to form mounting clip means for securing the apparatus to the lip or upper edge portion of a tank 20, as shown in FIG. 1, where the tank is indicated by broken lines. It should be noted that the longitudinal centerline of the mounting clip 18 is generally within an axial plane of the shaft 14 to facilitate the proper alignment of the bearing 54 with the shaft. This arrangement also insures proper alignment of the clip relative to the structure so that the apparatus will assume a proper downwardly inclined position within a tank when the mounting clip is secured thereto.

If the apparatus is to be used in corrosive liquids, all exposed portions of the motor housing, handle and mounting clip are coated with a suitable corrosion resistive plastic material and all exposed metal parts such as the shaft, universal coupling and miscellaneous fasteners are fabricated from an appropriate corrosion resistive metal, such as stainless steel.

The apparatus of the present invention is also particularly adapted for electroplating small articles in a tank of liquid electrolyte solution. When the apparatus is employed in an electroplating operation, an elongated electrode 22 is positioned adjacent the motor 10 extending outwardly therefrom and into the container 12. In its presently preferred form, the electrode 22 is an inverted generally U-shaped electrical conductor having cathode rods 58, 58 electrically connected to the outer extremities of its bifurcated portions 60, 60 for making electrical connection with the articles to be plated disposed within the container 12. An electrical terminal connection 62 is provided n the are formed by the U-shaped portion of the electrode 22 for making electrical connection thereto with an alligator clip or the like. Means for releasably retaining the electrode 22 in position relative to the motor is provided by a pair of spaced apart U-shaped spring clips 64, 64 which are secured to the motor housing by appropriate threaded fasteners. The position of the removable electrode relative to the apparatus is shown in FIG. 1 and further indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 2.

It should be apparent from the foregoing description that this apparatus is conveniently portable and readily adaptable for a variety of surface-treating operations without requiring removal of the articles so treated from the container between treating operations.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a portable rotary container apparatus for the surface treatment of small articles, the combination comprising a drive motor, a container including a side wall portion and a bottom closure portion defining a generally axially symmetrical open end portion and a hollow interior adapted to receive small articles, an elongated shaft coaxially extending through said hollow interior and said open end portion from said bottom closure to said drive motor providing operable connection therebetween, a rigid elongated handle secured at one end portion to said motor and extending longitudinally outward therefrom toward said container in spaced relation to said shaft with the longitudinal centerline thereof in an axial plane of said shaft, said handle including an outer end portion turned inwardly toward said shaft between said power unit and said container, first journal means associated with said outer end portion for journalling said shaft between said power and said container, a rigid mounting clip secured at one end portion to said motor, said mounting clip having a bifurcated portion including non-parallel first and second surface portions extending longitudinally outward from said motor toward said container with the longitudinal centerline thereof in an axial plane of said shaft, said first surface portion being inwardly bent from said motor toward said shaft, said second surface portion being inclined from said first surface portion toward said container, said first and second portions arranged to engage the lip of a tank received therebetween to support said apparatus thereon and second journal means associated with said first surface portion for journalling said shaft between said motor and said first journal means.

2. A portable rotary container apparatus for the surface treatment of small articles comprising a motor having an output shaft, a container, an elongated drive shaft axially aligned with said output shaft and supporting said container for axial rotation in axially spaced relation to said motor, means for connecting said drive shaft to said output shaft, a rigid mounting clip secured to said motor for releasably retaining said apparatus on the lip of a tank and including an elongated first part extending toward said container, said first part having an end portion inwardly turned toward said drive shaft, and a first bearing member carried by said first part end portion and rotatably supporting said drive shaft between said container and said motor.

3. A portable rotary container apparatus as set forth in claim 2 including a rigid elongated handle secured at one end to said motor and extending outwardly therefrom toward said container, said handle having its other end turned inwardly toward said drive shaft, and a second bearing member carried by said handle other end for rotatably supporting said drive shaft between said container and said motor.

4. A portable rotary container apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for connecting said drive shaft to said output comprises a universal coupling.

5. A portable rotary container apparatus for electroplating small articles comprising a power unit, a container, an elongated shaft extending between said power unit and said container and providing operable connection therebetween, a rigid elongated handle secured at one end portion to said power unit extending longitudinally outward therefrom toward said container with the longitudinal centerline thereof in an axial plane of said shaft, said handle having an outer end portion turned inwardly toward said shaft for journalling said shaft between said power unit and said container, a bifurcated generally U-shaped electrical conductor positioned adjacent said power unit with said bifurcated portions extending outwardly from said power unit into said container, said electrode including a pair of cathodes for making electrical connection with articles to be plated disposed within said container, each of the said cathodes being electrically connected to an outer end portion of one of the said bifurcated portions, said electrode further including an electrical terminal for making electrical connection therewith, means for releasably retaining said electrode in fixed position relative to said apparatus, and means for securing said apparatus to the edge portion of a tank.

5 6. The combination defined in claim 5 further characterized by said means for releasably retaining said electrode being a pair of spaced apart U-shaped spring clips secured adjacent said power unit, each of the said spring clips being adapted to receive and releasably retain an associated bifurcated portion of said electrode.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Belke 204-214 Daniels 204-214 Herrick 204-214 X Phillips 204-213 X Barr et al 204-222 Bak-alar et al 259-3 HOWARD S. WILLIAMS, Primary Examiner.

JOHN H. MACK, Examiner. 10 W. VANSISE, Assistant Examiner. 

